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New York Bans Synthetic Drugs
Over the past years the popularity of bath salts has increased dramatically. Bath salts are sold under the names White Lightning, Snow Leopard, Zoom, Vanilla Sky, and many others.
Another popular drug is a synthetic version of marijuana often sold by the names Spice, K2, Blaze, and Red Dawn X.
Many people call these substances "designer drugs," which indicates that they are often hand-crafted by specific individuals. What that really means is that there is absolutely no control of moderation of their production. In fact, there are no consistent percentages or values of specific ingredients in any of these items, which makes them all the more dangerous.
Producers get by the illegality, or used to, by adding "not intended for human consumption" to the packaging, which were sold in head shops and convenience stores as "bath salts," "plant food," or any of a wide variety of innocuous names.
The health risks are dire, sometimes including stroke, catatonia, and temporary paralysis. Users sometimes become extremely violent and even cause severe harm to themselves and others.
Legal Actions
This June, President Obama signed a bill to add bath salts to the list of banned substances in the United States, there was still a pressing need for reform and stricter rules. In fact, some believe that the new federal law was too lenient on drugs like bath salts, which continue to run rampant.
To combat these programs, each individual state needs to outlaw the products including clear disciplinary consequences and banned chemical compounds.
One of the first states to make a move in this regard was one of our home states, New York. With Governor Andrew Cuomo's legislation signed in early August, officials in New York state will now be able to pursue violators, place them in jail for up to 15 days, and fine them up to $500. Civil penalties can even reach a $2,000 fine depending on the offense.
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New York Governor's Seal
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Governor Cuomo even started a toll-free phone number (1-888-99SALTS or 1-888-997-2587) for people to call with any information about the illegal distribution of bath salts around the state. Please post this number somewhere accessible for all of your staff to help combat this problem.
For more information on the New York state ban on synthetic drugs, please visit the following links:
Governor Cuomo's Announcement
Westfair Online: "New York bans bath salts, synthetic drugs"
Smithtown Patch: "State Bans Bath Salts, Synthetic Drugs"
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